Finance Globe

Record numbers of foreclosures in the U.S. have presented scam artists with an opportunity to take advantage of desperate homeowners when they're already down. The Federal Trade Commission issued a warning to consumers about crooks promising to help troubled homeowners avoid foreclosure. These scams can be very elaborate and seem legitimate to the unsuspecting homeowners. Then the crooks disappear with the homeowner's much-needed cash by the time they realize that the scam artist has done nothing...

Paying off debt is a concern for many consumers, and there are different opinions on the best way to go about doing it. Mathematically, it makes more sense to first pay off the debts that have the highest interest rate, and thus, are costing you more money in the long run. But, handling finances and debts is more than mathematics; human emotion is responsible for many of the financial decisions we make. Feeling discouraged from making...

Money management should be a simple task. It's all mathematics; such a clear-cut approach should guarantee success. But, no, it's not that simple. Throw some human emotion into the formula, and you often have, well, confusion.Money represents so much more than the dollar bills in your wallet or the numbers on your bank statement. To many, it represents freedom, power, control, and security. Some may feel shame, guilt, frustration, or anger when feel they don't have...

Credit utilization ratio - a significant factor in your credit scoreMost consumers who keep a close eye on their credit score know exactly what a credit utilization ratio is; it's the percentage of your total credit limits that you actually use.A balance of $1000, with a $5000 total credit limit on all revolving accounts, equals a 20% credit utilization ratio.A low credit utilization ratio is good for your credit score; it's recommended to keep it under...

Inflation rates in the U.S. have risen faster than economists have predicted. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose at a rate of 5.6 percent for the twelve-month period through July of 2008. This is the fastest leap in consumer prices since 1991. Producer prices have escalated by 9.8 percent, the most since 1981.A nearly 30 percent increase in the...

Many consumers have grown to enjoy the convenience of shopping online. You can easily compare products and prices from many retailers within a short amount of time. The shipping charges are usually well worth saving the time in traffic and gas money spent shopping the old-fashioned way. Purchasing goods online is the answer to many of our shopping nightmares.Now the question is, "What's the best way to pay for online shopping?" Let's review some of the...

Better banking may mean not using a bank.Choosing a financial institution, for many, simply means going to the bank their parents do business with, picking one that's close to home or work, or giving in to advertised freebies meant to entice them to open an account. But before settling for a commercial bank, consider checking out your local credit union.Credit unions, just like banks, offer a wide variety of financial services such as checking, savings, and...

CDs are a low-risk investment that offers a slightly better return on your deposit than a traditional savings account. CDs are protected from loss, up to $100,000, as long as the issuing financial institution is a bank insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), or a credit union insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Brokerage houses may offer CDs, and these are also FDIC-insured if the issuing bank is FDIC-insured. The return you'll...

Paying bills online is great; it saves time and money. You don't have to buy stamps and checks, and it takes less time to set up online payments than it does to write and mail checks every month. You can make online payments to your mortgage company, your utility companies, your credit accounts, and even to individuals, such as your landlord or your children's nanny. When you pay bills online, you have a few options in...

The unemployment rate is on the rise, the stock market has been giving investors a scary ride, the American homeowners' biggest asset has been devalued, inflation is pushing up the price of everything, and we still have a family to feed...It's easy to get careless about finances when times are good and credit is easy, but the recent problems in the U.S. have forced many of us to take a harder look at how we're earning...